Game preview: Canadiens vs. Jets

canadiens.com

On Superbowl Sunday, sports fans will be treated to a matinee Montreal-Winnipeg matchup before the big game opposing the NFL’s Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks.

The Habs are coming off a 2-1 overtime loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon. Ben Bishop made 28 saves after shaking off the effects of a head injury suffered on Thursday, while Carey Price stopped 34 shots, including a first-period penalty shot by Nikita Kucherov in the loss. Daniel Briere had the lone Canadiens goal, while Nate Thompson scored both for Tampa.

For the part, the Jets are coming off a 4-3 home win against the Vancouver Canucks. The team has done well since Paul Maurice took over the bench from Claude Noel, going 7-2 in its last nine games. Devin Setoguchi, who had only one goal in his past 26 games, scored twice, while captain Andrew Ladd had two assists. Starter Ondrej Pavalec made 23 saves on 26 shots faced.

On Sunday, the Jets will have to do without sniper Evander Kane, who is out with an infection in his hand. Meanwhile, Michael Bournival missed Saturday’s game with the flu, and will be a game-time decision on Sunday.

Carey Price is expected to start for Montreal. He’ll have to be on his game once again against the ninth-most productive offense in the NHL. However, the Jets’ defense only rank 22nd in the league in terms of goals allowed.

Since moving to Manitoba from Atlanta, Georgia, the team now known as the Jets has never won at the Bell Centre. Overall, the Habs hold a 7-1 edge since 2011 and won the last meeting between the teams 3-0 in Winnipeg. Sunday’s game will be the last of two regular season match-ups between the two teams.